Zendesk alternatives: top competitors compared
Named alongside Zendesk
Freshworks55% of Zendesk answersSalesforceBest forBusinesses from small companies to large enterprises wanting sales, service, marketing and commerce on one CRM platform54% of Zendesk answersHubSpotBest forStartups, small and mid-sized businesses and enterprises wanting marketing, sales and service on one CRM.49% of Zendesk answersIntercomBest forSupport teams from startups to large enterprises that want AI-first customer service with human agents and an AI agent in one system48% of Zendesk answers
Data from SlateIndex weekly runs
Zendesk has a visibility score of 49.3 in Live Chat & AI Support, #1 of 44. AI answers that name Zendesk most often also name these 4.
What AI answers fault Zendesk for
Heavy, slow deployment compared with lighter tools
Raised in 2 collected answers.
High per-agent costs
Raised in 2 collected answers.
AI add-ons billed separately on top of base fee
Raised in 1 collected answer.
Quick reference
| Alternative | Best for | Starting price | Visibility | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshworks | — | — | 61.5% | — |
| Salesforce | Businesses from small companies to large enterprises wanting sales, service, marketing and commerce on one CRM platform | — | 46.2% | One unified platform combining CRM apps, data, and AI agents |
| HubSpot | Startups, small and mid-sized businesses and enterprises wanting marketing, sales and service on one CRM. | Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo | 73.1% | All hubs share one Smart CRM database, with a free tier that never expires. |
| Intercom | Support teams from startups to large enterprises that want AI-first customer service with human agents and an AI agent in one system | $29 per seat / mo | 46.2% | A helpdesk with a natively integrated AI agent, Fin, sharing the same inbox, customer record and knowledge |
Alternative 1
Freshworks vs Zendesk →Freshworks
Freshworks is ranked #1 in Help Desk.
Quick facts
- Pricing not available
- 61.5% visibility score · #1 in Help Desk
Key features
- Freshservice — AI-powered service operations platform for IT service management.
- Freshdesk — Cloud-based help desk software for customer support.
- Freshsales — CRM with built-in phone, email and chat, workflows and sales sequences.
- Freshdesk Contact Center — Contact center product in the Freshdesk line.
Freshworks vs Zendesk
| Dimension | Freshworks | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 61.5% | 49.3% |
| Pricing model | — | Per seat |
| Entry price | — | $19 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | — | No |
| Trial | — | — |
Pros
- Affordable pricing and good value
- Free tier or free trial available
- Intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Fast deployment and quick time-to-value
- Strong AI and automation features
Cons
- Per-minute charges for advanced calling features
Alternative 2
Salesforce vs Zendesk →Salesforce
Salesforce suits businesses from small companies to large enterprises wanting sales, service, marketing and commerce on one CRM platform.
Quick facts
- Pricing not available
- 46.2% visibility score · #1 in Field Service Management
Key features
- Agentforce — Platform for building, deploying and running AI agents for customers and employees.
- Sales Cloud — Sales pipeline, forecasting and sales process management.
- Service Cloud — Customer support case management across channels.
- Marketing Cloud — Building and personalizing campaigns and customer journeys.
Salesforce vs Zendesk
| Dimension | Salesforce | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 46.2% | 49.3% |
| Pricing model | — | Per seat |
| Entry price | — | $19 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | — | No |
| Trial | — | — |
Pros
- Powerful reporting, automation and customisation
- Market leader and gold standard CRM
- Deep ecosystem and strong CRM integrations
- Built for large enterprises and scaling
- Free trial to test its features
Cons
- Requires a dedicated administrator to manage
- High enterprise pricing
- Heavy, slow implementation that suits large budgets
Alternative 3
HubSpot vs Zendesk →HubSpot
HubSpot suits startups, small and mid-sized businesses and enterprises wanting marketing, sales and service on one CRM..
Quick facts
- Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo · per seat
- Free plan available
- 73.1% visibility score · #1 in Marketing Automation
- 2000+ native integrations
Key features
- Marketing Hub — Marketing automation software for lead generation, campaigns and analytics.
- Sales Hub — Sales software for prospecting, pipeline management, sequences and forecasting.
- Service Hub — Customer service software with help desk workspace, ticketing, knowledge base and customer success tools.
- Content Hub — Content marketing software for websites, landing pages, blogs and podcasts.
HubSpot vs Zendesk
| Dimension | HubSpot | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 73.1% | 49.3% |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Per seat |
| Entry price | Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo | $19 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Trial | Free plan available | — |
Pros
- intuitive, user-friendly interface
- generous free tier
- all-in-one CRM and marketing platform
- tight CRM integration for live chat and service
- good fit for startups and small businesses
Cons
- higher-tier costs and onboarding fees
- higher month-to-month pricing than annual plans
Alternative 4
Intercom vs Zendesk →Intercom
Intercom suits support teams from startups to large enterprises that want AI-first customer service with human agents and an AI agent in one system.
Quick facts
- $29 per seat / mo · per seat
- 14-day free trial
- 46.2% visibility score · #2 in Live Chat & AI Support
- 450+ native integrations
Key features
- Intercom Helpdesk — AI-powered helpdesk with omnichannel inbox, ticketing, help center and reporting.
- Fin AI Agent — AI agent that resolves customer queries across channels, usable with Intercom or other helpdesks.
- Copilot — Personal AI assistant for support agents in the inbox.
- Pro (with Operator) — Add-on with AI analysis, quality monitoring and Operator, an agent for customer operations.
Intercom vs Zendesk
| Dimension | Intercom | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 46.2% | 49.3% |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Per seat |
| Entry price | $29 per seat / mo | $19 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Trial | 14-day free trial | — |
Pros
- AI-first customer support with the Fin AI agent
- Strong for in-app messaging and product-led SaaS
- Unified conversation history for smooth handoffs to humans
- Lower per-seat cost when billed annually
- Praised as the best overall chat and AI experience
Cons
- Per-seat and usage-based AI charges can add up in cost
How to choose
Match the pricing model to your cost driver: headcount, usage or features.
| Platform | Pricing model | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Zendesk | Per seat | $19 per seat / mo |
| Freshworks | — | — |
| Salesforce | — | — |
| HubSpot | Per seat | Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo |
| Intercom | Per seat | $29 per seat / mo |
More alternatives
Ranked by how often AI answers name them alongside Zendesk in the latest weekly run.